Kennedy Group Puts $2 Million Into Fight Against Pot-legalization Measures

In an attempt to sabotage the on-going movement for legalization across the country, a group headed by Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy has raised more than $2 million to fight initiatives in five states this year.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) claims its mission to stop these marijuana proposals from becoming law is really about fighting against “Big Marijuana,” a system “which has consistently placed corporate profits and addiction ahead of public health.”

The group claims to be concerned that, in legalizing marijuana, the nation is headed toward the creation of another tobacco industry. But this group began by campaigning against cannabis itself, calling it a dangerous drug. They only pivoted to the “anti-Big Marijuana” posture when they realized that the available science overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is in fact incredibly safe.